Sports
South Africa Considers 2020 Olympic Bid
South Africa may have become the first World Cup hosts to be eliminated after the first round but that does not appear to have dampened enthusiasm for the tournament there.
In fact, so buoyed is President Jacob Zuma by the way the event is going, he said on Thursday that the success of the World Cup should be used as the springboard for a bid to host the Olympics in 2020.
“We have got the facilities,” said Zuma. “Those who take decisions have seen how South Africa is. I’m sure we could do it.”
Zuma’s comments are a clear sign that Bafana Bafana’s exit has not diminished in any way the country’s huge pride at staging the tournament.
As one newspaper columnist put it,: “No one has beaten our record as a small nation hosting the biggest World Cup.”
So could a South African city stage the Olympics?
With its stunning location at the foot of Table Mountain, Cape Town would be the obvious candidate. The city bid for the 2004 Games but was well beaten by Athens.
Johannesburg’s Soccer City would also make a magnificent Olympic stadium but altitude would be a factor.
Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium has already got a running track and the city on the Indian Ocean is already talking about a bid.
For the Olympic movement, taking the Games to Africa for the first time would be an even bigger statement than Fifa’s decision to award the World Cup to the continent after a wait of 80 years.
In many ways, the two events are on a similar scale now. However, the Olympic pressure is felt by one city alone whereas a World Cup is spread over a number of host cities.
And while the World Cup involves 64 matches and an intense group phase with three or four matches every day, the Olympic Games involves a far greater logistical challenge, with 26 simultaneous world championships taking place over a much shorter period – just 16 days.
Any potential host city would need a range of world-class facilities, not just one or two football or rugby stadiums. It would also need to accommodate more than 10,000 athletes and the same number of media, with all the strain those figures put on transport and security.
But taking the Olympics to Africa – and realistically South Africa is the only country that could host the Games – would send such a strong message to the continent.
The International Olympic Committee has already shown it is not afraid of making bold decisions, as it demonstrated by taking the summer Games to Beijing in 2008 and to South America for the first time with Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
And IOC President Jacques Rogge said last week that he would love to have a credible African candidate for the next Olympics, namely 2020.
South Africa certainly has the resources and the will to put on the Games – and would do a terrific job if the warmth of the people is anything to go by.
The success of African athletes – particularly in middle and long distance running – makes it even harder to ignore calls to take the Games to this continent.
Should that dream become a reality and England win the right to host the World Cup in 2018, it raises the prospect of just three countries – Britain, Brazil and South Africa – dominating the next decade’s showpiece sporting events.
And that would represent not only a significant change in the sporting landscape but a major geopolitical and sporting shift, too.
Sports
Galaxy Win Sixth MLS Title
LA Galaxy won a record-extending sixth MLS Cup title as they beat New York Red Bulls to delight a home crowd at Dignity Health Sports Park.
The MLS Cup is the showpiece match at the end of the US season, pitching the champions of the Eastern Conference and Western Conference finals together.
This was the first MLS Cup between two sides from the largest cities in the United States, Los Angeles and New York, and it produced a hectic opening with all three goals scored in the first half-hour.
Red Bulls were the lowest seed to ever reach the final after finishing seventh in the Eastern Conference during the regular season, and their underdog status initially showed as Galaxy dominated the 29th MLS Cup early on.
Galaxy led after nine minutes when Joseph Paintsil squeezed his shot under goalkeeper Carlos Coronel, and it was 2-0 soon after as Dejan Joveljic ran through the Red Bulls defence and finished with the outside of his boot.
Both men celebrated by holding up the shirt of team-mate Riqui Puig, the former Barcelona player who ruptured his ACL in the Western Conference Final which Galaxy won to reach this championship game.
Galaxy threatened to overwhelm their opponents as Sean Nealis headed a free-kick against his own crossbar.
But Red Bulls centre-back Nealis pulled his team back into the game after 28 minutes when he chested down and volleyed in from 15 yards when Galaxy players failed to clear a corner.
Both sides hit the woodwork in the second half: Galaxy right-back Miki Yamane struck the outside of the post, before Emil Forsberg curled an effort off the upright for Red Bulls.
But Galaxy, who had home advantage because of their better record in the regular season, held on to win their first MLS Cup since 2014.
Red Bulls remain without an MLS Cup title in their history after losing on what was their second appearance in the championship game.
Sports
Bayern Extend Bundesliga Lead To Six Points
Bayern Munich continued their unbeaten start to the Bundesliga season with a 4-2 win against Heidenheim.
A double from Jamal Musiala and goals from Dayot Upamecano and Leon Goretzka saw Bayern extend their lead at the top of the table to six points as closest challengers Eintracht Frankfurt were held to a 2-2 draw by Augsburg.
Vincent Kompany was without the injured Harry Kane, Manuel Neuer, Mathys Tel and Serge Gnabry, with Musiala starting on the bench.
Leroy Sane spurned two excellent early chances from close range before Upamecano headed the hosts in front from a Joshua Kimmich corner.
Bayern enjoyed 86% possession and completed 10 times as many passes (503) as the visitors (51) in the first half, yet Alphonso Davies hit the post with the only other clear chance created.
To their credit, Heidenheim didn’t wilt and drew level when Mathias Honsak rounded stand-in Bayern goalkeeper Daniel Peretz after Upamecano under-hit a backpass.
Kompany immediately introduced Musiala from the bench and was rewarded five minutes later when the 21-year-old drove into the box and beat Kevin Muller with a low strike.
Bayern looked to have secured the three points when Goretzka’s shot deflected past Muller, but the visitors halved the deficit almost immediately through a Niklas Dorsch tap-in.
Any nerves soon dissipated when Musiala ran half the length of the pitch unchallenged to slot home the fourth and final goal.
Bayern will face Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League tomorrow before returning to domestic duty away against Mainz on Saturday.
Sports
La Liga: Barca Stumble Again
Robert Lewandowski continued his superb start to the season but could not prevent Barcelona dropping points in a 2-2 draw with Real Betis.
Lewandowski scored his 16th goal of the league campaign before Ferran Torres cancelled out Giovani Lo Celso’s penalty – but Assane Diao snatched a point for Betis with a late equaliser.
Real Betis could have easily scored twice in the opening three minutes but Raphina cleared Diego Llorente’s header off the goalline before Abde Ezzalzouli – formerly of Barcelona – saw his one-on-one effort saved by Inaki Pena.
Lamine Yamal wasted a good chance to break the deadlock from close range but team-mate Lewandowski made no such mistake.
The Poland international converted Jules Kounde’s cross from close range to finish a fine team move and score for the 23rd time in 21 games in all competitions.
Betis emerged from half-time with renewed energy but spurned three more clear chances.
Sergi Altimira and Lo Celso sent headers wide of Pena’s post before the Barcelona goalkeeper was called upon to tip Chimy Avila’s snap-shot wide.
Betis finally got their just reward when Lo Celso converted from the penalty spot after Barca substitute Frenkie de Jong felled Vitor Roque – on-loan from the Catalans – as he raced into the area.
Barca pushed for a winner and found it when substitute Torres beat the offside trap to latch on to Yamal’s reverse pass and finish past Fran Vieites.
It looked like Barca would see out the win, but in the fourth minute of injury-time 19-year-old substitute Diao swept home to rescue a point for the hosts.
The draw sees Barca surrender control in the title race. Flick’s side are five points ahead of closest challengers Real Madrid but Los Blancos have played two games fewer.
Barca will be in Champions League action against Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday (20:00 GMT kick-off) before facing Leganes in La Liga on Sunday, 15 December.
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